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Iranian boxing coach leaves secure China job, returns...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/14

A boxing coach from Iran who worked in China for two years has quit his job and returned to his homeland to be with his family amid US-Israeli air strikes on the country. The trainer’s touching story was revealed by his boss on social media and attracted about one million likes, the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald reported. The 33-year-old Iranian, identified only as Saeed, has worked at a boxing gym in Xiangxi prefecture in Hunan, central China, since 2024. The gym’s owner Huang Zhaoxin met Saeed

Aid groups warn of humanitarian crisis in Lebanon as...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/14

Fatima Nazha slept on the streets for two days after she and her family fled their home in Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli mass evacuation order. All of the schools the government turned into shelters were full, and the family could not afford a hotel or a flat, so she and her husband eventually moved into a tent in the country’s biggest stadium while their children and grandchildren found shelter near the southern coastal city of Sidon. In just 10 days, more than 800,000

Hong Kong to tighten moneylending rules to tackle...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/14

Hong Kong’s licensed moneylenders will face strict new regulations starting in August, including debt-servicing ratio caps for low-income earners and a complete ban on using loan referees – a move lawmakers have said should reduce harassment by debt collectors. Lawmakers also said on Saturday that the measures outlined by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau would help curb most illicit loans, while one legislator called for further regulation of the moneylending industry. The

Flying car dreams gain altitude as Xpeng affiliate...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/14

Aridge, the flying-car developer backed by Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng, has raised nearly US$200 million in fresh funding as it prepares for a potential initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong this year. Existing investors including GL Ventures, the venture capital arm of Hillhouse Investment, and HongShan – formerly Sequoia China – participated in the latest round, according to a statement released on Friday. The fundraising brings Aridge’s total equity financing to about US$1...

By waging war on Iran, Trump leaves the US economy...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/14

War in the Middle East is again producing an oil shock, as was the case in past years. For the chief perpetrator of the new shock – the United States – this will be a multi-front war where the financial impact could hit the country harder than import price shocks. The US is a debtor nation on a grand scale, running as it does both current account and budget deficits and therefore being highly dependent upon foreign capital inflows. Will the Trump administration’s antics – widely perceived as...

Hong Kong’s anti-corruption agency seeks 50 new...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/14

Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) aims to recruit 50 officers during its latest round of hiring, with about 1,000 people attending its learning event this weekend. Paul Lau Chi-ho, the director of the ICAC’s Hong Kong International Academy Against Corruption, said the watchdog was confident it could fill the vacancies and did not plan to follow other disciplined services in easing recruitment criteria. Lau was speaking on Saturday, the first day of the agency’s...

Iran war fallout puts 9 million Indian workers in the...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/14

When the alert arrives on his phone, Yashwant Deshmukh knows exactly what to do. The Dubai-based political analyst moves away from the windows, waits for the second message confirming the missile has been intercepted, and then goes back to work. “It has become a drill,” he said. For the roughly 9 million Indians living and working across the Gulf, the war on Iran has shattered one of the region’s most durable illusions: that cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Manama would remain apart

Here are 5 ways to enter China without a visa – by...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/14

China announced visa-free entry for Canadian and British nationals on February 17, allowing citizens of the two countries to cross the border and stay for up to 30 days with no more than a passport. The move was just the latest expansion of China’s visa-free policies, which have eased entry rules for citizens of dozens of nations over the past few years as part of an effort to boost tourism. Immigration officials now allow travellers from dozens of countries to stay without a visa for up to

Hong Kong to boost direct flights, transfer capacity...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/14

Hong Kong authorities are coordinating with airlines to increase direct flight and transfer capacity, turning the challenges posed by the US-Israel war on Iran into opportunities, the transport minister has said. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan also said on Saturday that the ongoing Middle East turmoil had deeply disrupted global trade and aviation networks, underscoring the need for Hong Kong to reduce its reliance on traditional oil by expanding supply sources. “We can...

Elderly man dies after being hit by taxi in Kwun Tong

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/14

An elderly pedestrian has died after being hit by a taxi in Hong Kong’s Kwun Tong, according to police. The accident took place shortly before 10pm on Friday when the 75-year-old man was crossing the road near the junction of Hip Wo Street and Yuet Wah Street. The taxi, travelling along Hip Wo Street towards Sau Mau Ping, ran into the man, reportedly causing him to crash onto the bonnet before falling to the ground. He sustained a serious head wound and other injuries to the body, according

North Korea fires 10 ballistic missiles during...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/14

North Korea on Saturday fired about 10 ballistic missiles towards the eastern sea, South Korea’s military said, staging its own show of force as the rival South conducts a joint military exercise with the United States. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were fired from an area near the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, but did not immediately say how far they flew. Japan’s Defence Ministry said the weapons landed in waters outside the country’s exclusive economic

More Malaysian scammers target Singapore-based...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/14

Scam syndicates allegedly from Malaysia are increasingly relying on couriers and physical handovers when targeting victims in Singapore, as tighter banking safeguards make fraudulent online transfers harder for them to pull off, according to police and crime experts. Recent police cases suggest some criminals are turning to cross-border transfers in which victims are pressured into handing over cash or valuables in Singapore before the proceeds are passed through “mules” working for scam...

China single mum starts business with US$100, runs...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/14

A young Chinese single mother who started with a street stall and just 700 yuan (US$100) to her name has built a successful nationwide clothing business. The “new Chinese-style clothing” brand, now earns tens of millions of yuan each year and its success has inspired many people online. Dong Na, a single mother born in the 1990s from Zhengzhou in northern China’s Henan province, has attracted public attention after sharing her entrepreneurial story. In 2012, Dong became a single mother with

Palestinian actor Motaz Malhees blocked from Oscars...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/14

Palestinian actor Motaz Malhees said a travel ban imposed by Donald Trump’s administration is preventing him from attending Sunday’s Academy Awards, whose nominees include a movie in which he has a starring role. The Voice ‌of Hind Rajab, a film about a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in 2024, has been Oscar-nominated for best international feature film. Malhees, who plays the role of a call centre operator attempting to help her, said he cannot attend the

US moves 2,000 Marines from Japan to Middle East as...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/14

The US military has started moving at least one amphibious assault ship and more than 2,000 Marines from Japan to the Middle East as the US-Israeli war against Iran continues, according to US media reports. With the war about to enter its third week and US President Donald Trump vowing to ramp up military action against Iran, The Wall Street Journal and Fox News said on Friday the military was sending the Okinawa-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the region. The assault ship Tripoli,...

Purrs of approval for Yau Ma Tei cat mural as...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/14

On the weathered facade of the Kiu Kong Mansion on Nathan Road, two freshly painted cats now curl into the bustle of Hong Kong’s Yau Ma Tei. The mural features a ragdoll and a British shorthair cat, two breeds loved by Hongkongers, bringing a burst of colour and whimsy to the ageing building. With its head wrapped in a pink towel after a grooming session, the ragdoll gazes out at the street while the British shorthair shows off glossy nails and long, curly eyelashes, both perched in a garden...

What are Hong Kong’s next best steps after ‘two...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/14

Hong Kong should move beyond a “city-centred” approach that merely seeks Beijing’s policy support and instead take steps to align with national priorities by advancing the internationalisation of the yuan and supporting mainland Chinese enterprises’ global expansion, observers have said as this year’s “two sessions” came to a close. With the annual political gathering ending amid the widening war in the Middle East, observers also said Beijing would expect local companies to pursue

Swing and a miss? Taiwan’s premier under fire over...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/14

Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai has come under fire over what he said was a private visit to Japan to support the island’s team at the World Baseball Classic last week – a trip that drew a sharp rebuke from Beijing. Cho travelled to Tokyo on March 7, watching Taiwan defeat the Czech Republic 14-0 at the Tokyo Dome in the tournament’s Pool C round. He returned to Taipei the same day. It was the first visit to Japan by a sitting Taiwanese premier since Tokyo ended official ties with Taipei in

Myanmar’s junta staged an election. It couldn’t stage...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/14

Myanmar’s new parliament will convene next week, following an election tightly stage-managed by the junta. The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) will enjoy a commanding majority and the party of former generals can be expected to preserve the interests of the military and its associates. It’s unclear just how closely these broader interests align with the political ambitions of junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. He does not formally lead the USDP, whose majority means it

Top Chinese entrepreneurs commit to Middle East...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/14

Two prominent Chinese business leaders have pledged to double down on outbound investment – including in the Middle East and Latin America – even as geopolitical risks intensify following the outbreak of the US-Israeli war with Iran and Washington’s increasing interventions in the western hemisphere. Li Dongsheng, founder and chairman of Chinese electronics giant TCL, said the recent crisis in the Middle East had only a temporary impact on the company’s operations there and that the overall...

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